Production of emulsions.



Patented July 25, 1916.

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S. H. BLICHFELDT. PRODUCT|0 N 0F EMULSONS. APPLICATION FILED Aue.25.1914.

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SfH. BLICHFELDT. PRODUCTION OF EMULSIONS. APPLICATION FILED Aue.25.1914.

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SOUTHALL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO FLAKES AJS., 0F COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

PRODUCTION 0F EMULSIONS.

Specification of Letters '.Patent.

Patented July 25, ieic.

Application led August 25, 1914. Serial No. 858,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SREN I'Ix BLioH- rnrii'r, a subject of the KingofDenmark, residing at Merston I-Iou'se, Southall, in the county oflldiddlesex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin or Relating to the Production of Emulsion's, of whichA the followingis a speciication.

This invention relates to an improved process and improved apparatus forthe production of emulsions, such for example as are involved in themanufacture of margarin and like fatty food stulfs or other materials.

`The improved process consists in passing the liquid in an unbrokenstream through a continuous narrow channel formed between relativelymoving walls, such as are formed, for example, by av rotating diskwithin a casing, and in adding one ingredient of the emulsion atsuccessive stages ir the said channel between the inlet and outlet.

In the improved apparatus the ingredients are supplied to both sides ofa memcylinder, cone or other suitable form, mounted in a single casingbetween surfaces which approach very closely to that of thev saidmember, so that the pressures are balanced on opposite sides of thelatter and the thrust is taken 0E the moving parts of the machine.

A convenient construction of apparatus according to my inventioncomprises a' disk mounted upon a shaft and adapted to turn inside a ixeddisk shaped casing, to the center of which one ingredient of theemulsion is supplied so as to pass from the center to other ingredient(usually the fatty one) may enter intermittently through a tube ex- Itending transversely across the casing and communicating with theinterior of the casing through various small passages at dif-A ferentdistances from the axi:. I may make the disk with a number of slots orchannels,

preferably of concentric circularsegmenta form, which slots afford freecommunication between the two sides of the disk. The central disk mayhowever be made without slots and the ingredients supplied under equalpressures to each side.

I have found it desirable to mount the disk so that it is free to moveaxially vand therefore to iioat within its casing between surfaces. Thedistance is usually of the order of l() to 100g. so that The e xedemulsifying surfaces. Owing to the layer of liquid continuously flowingbetween thev closely adjacent disk and casing surface, the diskautomatically .adjusts itself without coming into contact with thecasing and thus renders unnecessary the very accurate adjustment of allthe lparts which would be required with a rigidly mounted disk. I maymake the surfaces of the disk flat or may make the disk slightly convexor of any other cross section found desirable. To adjust the spacebetween the disk and casing su 1faces accurately and with facility Ipropose to divide the casing into two disks or plates with meetingflanges at their outer edges, between which .fianges is placed a softwasher. Tightening bolts around the circumference enable the pressure onthe washerto be varied and thus give the minute adjustment necessary tovary the volume between the surfaces great accuracy is desirable in theadjustment of the casing volume, which can be varied without opening thecasing or otherwise .interfering with the apparatus while ruiming.

In order that the saidginvention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, I will now yproceed to describe the same more fullywith reference to the accompanying drawing, in which j Figure l is asection taken along the axis of a single disk machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section through the intermittent supply devicewith the emulsifier casing in elevation. Fig. 3 shows in section a diskappar tus especially intended for use in homogenizing an emulsion, an vFigs. 4 and 5 show in elevation and cross section respectively amodification of the hombgenizing disk member having the form of a'centrifugal propeller wheel.

The disk B is, in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and, providedwith a l large number of concentric. slots Gr, six radial groups of such'l slots being shown'. These slots extend through the disk so that thevery narrow spaces between the casing halves C and D and disks B on eachside of the latter are in open communication 'and there is no chance ofexcess pressure accuthe disk being theredisk is preferably mulating oneither side, fore balanced. The

between the emulsifying mounted loosely on the end of the shaft A sothat although driven by the shaft it is free to adjust itself axially,forming a iioating disk kept from contact with the casing b v the layerof liquid betweenv the surfaces. The thickness of the emulsifying layersbetween the disk and casing can be adjusted. easily and accuratelyduring the running of the machine by tightening or loosening the boltsF, the packing or washer E betw'een the two members C and D of thecasing' being suliciently yielding to allow of the minute adjustmentsrequired.

rlhe tube M through which the fatty ingredient is suppliedintermittently is driven from the shaft A by the worm a4 and Worm wheelm at such a speed that the registering of the holes N with the passagesor perforations N in the casing member C occurs while the slots G arepassing the ends of these passages, which are together with the holes Nspaced to correspond with the slots, as indicated in Fig. 2. The wateryingredient is supplied to the cavity H at the'center of the casingthrough the inlet I so that this ingredient travels outwardly to theperiphery of the casing while it is progressively enriched by theadditions of the fatty material at successive points. The resultingemulsion escapes through the outlet L at the periphery of the casing. Asmall quantity of the fatty material may be led to the central cavity Hthrough the auxiliary passages K in the easing member C.

The holes N and passages N are preferably arranged so that theintermittent supply occurs at different times distances from the axis ofthe emulsifying disk. While the disk B is shown as a fiat slotted diskthe slots may be omitted if the watery constituent is admitted to thecavity H at each side of the disk. Any suitable convcx or other shapemay also be given to the disk faces and inner surface of the casing. Inthe modification illustrated in Fig.I 3, which shows the balanced diskdevice applied to the homogenizing of an emulsion already partly madebut not in the final conition required, a disk O is mounted on the ShaftR in the easing P having an inlet n for the unhomogenized material andan outlet n at the periphery for the homogenized emulsion. The

homogenizing action occurs 1n the narrow annular channels between thedisk O andV casing P on each side of the disk. The disk O iioats betweenthe two sides of the casing as in the previously described construction,having axial freedom on the/feather 'i' connecting the disk to the.

shaft /R. Holes s in the disk O allow the emulsion to reach both sidesof the disk so that the pressure on each side is balanced. The disk israpidly rotated and the emulsion is forced between the disk and thecasing P, the ingredients of the emulsion being for different thusfinely divided on their w'ay to the outlet n so as to bring about thedesired homogenizing effect.

The homogenizing dlsk member may be in the form illustrated in Figs. 4Eand 5, which show it as a bucket wheel S having a hub t with grooves 1'receiving the shaft keys and allowing of axial displacement of the wheelas already described in connection with the disk rihe rim 'v forms thehomogenizing surfaces and is carried on the hub by means Vof the curvedarms or blades u, which leave open passages between them te allow freeaccess of liquid to both sides of the wheel. The blades u on rotation ofthe Wheel act as centrifugal members and drive the emulsion withincreased velocity and pressure through the homogenizing channels. Y

WV hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is l. A process for the production of emulsions consisting inpassing one ingredient of the emulsion in a continuous stream from thecenter to the circumference of a. narrow channel formed between two disksurfaces having relative rotation and in adding the second ingredient tothe said channel at successive stages from the center, while theemulsion so produced escapes at the clrcumference.

2. In emulsifying apparatus, a casing, a rotatory disk forming with thecasing an emulsifying channel at each side, means for supplying theingredients of the emulslon to both sides of the disk and means forsupplying one ingredient at successive stages from the inner to theouter edge of the emulsifying channel.

3. In emulsifying apparatus, a casing and an emulsifying disk within thecasing having openings which admit of the free passage of thevliquidfrom one side of the disk to the other.

4. In emulsifying apparatus, disk type, a driving shaft, an member ofdisk type within mounted on the said shaft so as to turn with it whileotherwise free to adjust itself thereon, and means'for supplying theingredlents of the emulsion to both sides of the said member.

5. In emulsifying apparatus, a disk shaped casing having an outlettoward the periphery, lan emulsifying rotatory member of disk type inthe said easing, means for admitting one ingredient of the emulsion tothe middle of the casing and means for admitting the second ingredientat a number of points at different distances from the center.

6. In emulsiying apparatus, a. diskshaped casing having an outlet towardthe periphery, an emulsifying rotator;r member of disk type m the saidcasing, means for a casing of emulsifying the easing,

admitting one ingredient of the emulsion to the middle of the casing anda rotatory perforated tube extending transversely acrossv the saidcasingand admitting the secondingredient at different points from the center.

7. In emulsifying apparatus, a disk shaped easing provided With anoutlet to- Wardthe periphery, an inlet toward the center for oneingredient of the emulsion and a transverse series of perforatons foradmitting the second ingredient, a rotatory emulsifying member Withinthe casing, and a rotatory perforated tube supplying the secondingredient, the perforations of the tube and the casing registeringintermittently and being so relatedthat the admission of the seoondingredient occurs at dierent intervals for diierent distances from thecenter of the casing.

8. In emulsifying apparatus, a disk shaped casingprovided With an outletto- Ward the periphery, an inlet toward the center for one ingredient ofthe emulsion and a transverse series of perforations for admitting thesecond ingredient, a rotatory emulsifying disk formed With a series ofconcentric slots registering with the said casing perforations, and arotatory perforating tube supplying the second ingredient.

9. In emulsifying apparatus, a disk shaped casing .having an outlettoward the periphery, an inlet toward the center for one ingredient anda transverse series of perfor-ations for the second ingredient, anemulsifying disk, a shaft driving the said disk, a perforated transversetube supplying the second ingredient through the said casingperforations and gearing from the said shaft to the tube adapted torotate the latter in predetermined ratio to the rotation of the dlS i Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

sREN HY BLICHFELDT.

Witnesses T. SELBY WARDE, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

